Vermont girls take Twin-State Soccer Cup
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Toolbox
By Tom Haley
STAFF WRITER - Published: July 18, 2010
CASTLETON — Montpelier's Tatum FitzGerald delivered a beautiful Star Spangled Banner before the game, but once it began Vermont teammates Brittany Pfaff and Kelsie Bailey provided some spectacular harmony. Their pinpoint, give-and-go passing led to the game's first goal and helped send Vermont to a 3-2 victory over New Hampshire in the women's game of Saturday's Lions Twin-State Soccer Cup Match at Castleton State College's Spartan Stadium.
Pfaff had the goals that gave Vermont a 2-0 lead, but the first one was the type that enthralls soccer purists.
Spaulding's Bailey delivered the ball to Pfaff as they approached the 18 and Pfaff slid it right back to her, giving the defenders plenty to think about. Goalie Andrea Green charged out to try and disrupt the play, but it played into Bailey's hands. She returned the ball to Pfaff with a perfect pass and Rice Memorial's all-time leading scorer slammed it into the open net 10:55 into the game.
Pfaff scored again with a great individual effort, beating two defenders and then placing it in the far corner, well out of Green's reach. That one came 22:33 before the half.
“We did a good one-two together,” Bailey said of the first score. “I knew when she got the ball that it was going to go in.”
Spaulding coach Peter Sakash had Bailey back as a sweeper the last two years because of the Crimson Tide's needs, but he wasn't surprised she reacted so well in the situation.
“She can play touch-touch soccer,” the Vermont assistant said.
Pfaff was named the Vermont MVP, just another chapter in a storybook high school career that saw her win the state heptathlon and four events at the Division II state track meet recently. She is off to play Division I soccer at Siena College.
Salem's Sarah Raye was named New Hampshire's MVP and she sliced the lead to 2-1 with 13:11 left in the half. She threaded it in the upper corner of the near post. Kearsarge Regional's Chelsey Laughinghouse was credited with the assist.
South Burlington's Lauren Mihan, who will be a soccer walk-on at Davidson in North Carolina, cushioned the lead to 3-1 with a gorgeous direct kick that she bent around the New Hampshire wall from just outside the 18. It got just over Green's left shoulder and just under the crossbar.
“We practiced taking free kicks and getting the ball over the wall this week and it paid off,” Mihan said.
Things got interesting when John Stark's Lauren Macklin gathered the ball in the box after a free kick and put it past Burlington keeper Stephanie Jaques to cut the lead to 3-2 with 5:17 to play.
But the Vermonters held on, giving them three victories in the last four years.
Green Mountain Union's Sara Groshens, an alternate who received the call to report to camp only two days before it began, received the 12th Player Award.
“Coming in late as an alternate I felt I had something to prove,” Groshens said. “I think coming to the team late was a benefit to me because I had something to prove. This means a lot to me.”
CVU's Kylie deGroot received the sportsmanship award, an honor based on a player's actions both in the game and through camp.
The Vermont defense was superb, including North Country keeper Samatha Guyette, who never allowed a goal.
“Our defensive shape was brilliant,” Vermont head coach Eric Bagley of Montpelier said. “Our defensive shape looked like we had been playing together two years, not two days.”
Bagley credited Montpelier's Anna Schwarz and CVU's Haleigh Smith for much of that defensive execution.
tom.haley@rutlandherald.com
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